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2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

0. L. FORTIN.

CONVERTIBLE M0]? 0B. BRUSH HOLDER.

No. 394,069. Patented Dec. 4, 1888.

WITNESISES,

E V? N S Phowmho bhen Wz'ahingion. D C.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. L. FORTIN.

CONVERTIBLE MOP 0R BRUSH HOLDER. No. 394,069. Patented Dec. 4, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES Ii. FORTIN, OF \VHITEIIALL, NEIV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF TlYO-TI-IIRDS TO FREDERICK ll. GAYIJORD AND \VAIITER D. TRAVIS, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

CONVERTIBLE MOP AND BRUSH HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,069, dated December 4, 1888.

Application filed September 14, 1387. Serial No. 249,693. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern; equal to the thickness of the staff or handle Be it known that I, CHARLES L. FORTIN, a C. The wire of which the head is formed is citizen of the United States, residing at \Vhitecurved or rounded at the ends of the bars (I, hall, in, the county of 'Washington and State (l, and (11 as at (7, and at the points where of New York, have invented certain new and the arms or shanks c c are joined to the in 55 useful Improvements in Mop and Brush Holdner bars, (1' (1 said wire is bent at an obtuse ers; and I do declare the following to be a full, angle at f to the shanks thereof. clear, and exact description of the invention, The inner terminals of the shanks c c of such as will enable others skilled in the art each jaw are bent inwardly toward each other 10 to which it appertains to make and use the to form short trunnions g, and the shanks of 60 same, reference being had to the accompanythe jaws are all of unequal length, as incliing drawings, and to the letters and figures cated by dotted lines in Fig. I}, so that the of reference marked thereon, which form a trunnions thereof can be fitted in a longitudipart of this specification. nal slot, 0, which formed in the handle or My invention relates to improvements in staif C at a suitable point, these trunnions 65 mop and brush holders, as will be hereinafter being capable of turning freely therein, so

fully described and claimed. that the jaws can be moved or adjusted easily The object of my invention is to provide an toward and from each other, as upon a pivot. improved mop-head which is made of spring- The head of the jaw B is made shorter in wire, and is peculiarly constructed to firmly both width and length than the head of the 70 and securely clasp either a SGl'llb-bl'llSll or a corresponding jaw A, as clearly seen in Fig. mop-rag, whereby either device may be se 4, to thereby adapt the outer side bar, (I, of curely attached. to the handle and used at will. the shorter narrower jaw B to easily lit be- I attain this object by the construction illustween the rounded end bars and side bars of trated in the accompanving drawings, in the jaw A. The shanks of the jaw B are 75 which further bent at a greater angle to the head Figure 1 is a perspective view sl'iowing a thereof than are the shanks oi the larger jaw brush clamped to the mop-head. Fig. 2 is an A to the head of the latter. These peculiar edge view in elevation thereof, and Fig. 3 is differences in structure between the two jaws a sectional view taken longitudinally through of the head cause the end bars, (7 of the 80 the staff or handle and trai'isverscly through jaw 13 to bear against the inner side bars, the mop-head and brush. Fig. at is a top or (1 (P, of the jaw A when the jaws are detached plan view of the jaws of the mop-head closed from the brush and forced together to clamp together, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the a mop-rag between the jaws, the outer side 3 5 shaft or handle and one of the spring-jaws to bar of the smaller jaw lying close to and par- 85 show the peculiar construction of said parts. allel with the corresponding bar of the larger Referring to the drawings, in which like when said jaws are closed upon a mop-rag, as letters of reference denote correspondingparts above described, and shown in Fig. lof the in all the figures, A I; designate the jaws of drawings.

40 the mop-head, and C the handle or staff to The jaws are forced or closed together by 0 which they are pivotally connected. Each of an endwise-inovable sleeve, D, which is fitted the jaws is formed or bent from a single consnugly over the staff or handle and rides tinuous piece of spring-wire; and it consists over the shanks of the jaws. The diameter of a straight side bar, (1, two similar bars, (1 of the sleeve is such that it compresses the (1 which are of less than one-half the length two jaws tightly and firmly together as it 95 of the bar (I, and shanks or arms c e", arranged rides over the inclined or an gularly-bent porat right angles to the bars (1 (1 and substantions of the shanks of the jaws, and the lower tially parallel with each other, these shanks end of the sleeve is made substantially square and the inner ends of the bars (1 (Z being or of other angular form in cross-section to separated by an intermediate space of awidth prevent it from. turning axially. The up- I00 ward endwise movement of the sleeve on the staff or handle is limited by a fixed collar or sleeve, D ,whieh is placed at a suitable pointto stop the sleeve before it exposes the pivotal connection of the jaws A B to the handle, which thereby conceals the pivots at all times and prevents them from being displaced or injured.

In adjusting the mop-rag in the head of the mop the sleeve D is moved upwardly on the staff to separate the jaws, the mop-rag is placed across the outer side bar, (2'', of the jaw A, and, finally, the sleeve D is forced down over the inclined angular portions f of the shanks to firmly and tightly compress the jaws together. The jaws yield or spring slightly when they are compressed together to exert a constantly-uniforin clamping action 011 the mop-rag, which is tightly wedged between the two outer side bars, (Z (7, of the jaws, as is obvious.

I attach especial importance to the peculiar construction and arrangement of the spring-jaws, as specified herein, as I am thereby enabled to produce a simple and inexpensive device, which is thoroughly efficient in holding a mop-rag on the staff or handle and also possesses great durability and strength.

E designates the brush, which, sofar as its general structure relates to my invention, is of the ordinary pattern-i. 6., it has a rigid unyielding back, in which the bristles are suitably secured.

To adapt the brush to be quickly and securely connected to the mop-head in a detachable manner, it is provided with vertically-disposed plates or castings E E These castings are bulged or curved outwardly at their upper ends, as at '71, to form two concave surfaces on opposite sides of the eastings, and these concave surfaces, against which the bars of the spring-jaws A B bear, in the manner presently specified, are disposed below the bulged upper extremity thereof. These castings or plates are further provided with lateral flanges or lugs, through which screws or other suitable appliances are passed to secure the castings in a firm and rigid manner to the unyielding back of the brush. The vertical portions of the castings are arranged near one of the side edges of the brush and separated a distance less than the width of the smaller jaw, B, of the mophead, so that the castings can be inserted or passed through the space between the side bars of the jaw B.

To connect the mop-headto the brush, the sleeve D is moved upward on the staff or handle to release the jaws and allow them to be separated. The larger lower jaw, B, is now adjusted over the vertical castings E E, so that said castings are passed between the front bar, (I, and the inner bars, d 61 the front bar, (Z, of said jaw B lying against the front faces of both castings, while the inner bars, (1 d bear against the rear faces of the castings E E, respectively, and all of said bars of the jaw B resting on the bases of the castings, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive. The upper smaller jaw, A, is now adjusted in front of the castings so that all of its bars (I d (I bear against the front faces of the castings, the bar d of the jaw A lying in close proximity to and within the corresponding bar (I of the other jaw, B, and the sleeve D is now forced over the shanks of the two jaws to firmly clamp the castings between said jaws.

It will be observed that when the jaws are closed by the sliding sleeve they bear against the castings at points below the upper-bulged extremities of said castings, whereby the jaws are firmly held in their adjusted positions that they cannot become separated to such an extent as to ride over the bulged or enlarged upper ends of the upright vertical portions of the castings when downward pressure is applied to the staff in manipulating the brush.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a mop and brush holder, the jaws A B, each made from a single piece of wire and having the head and shanks, said shanks being pivotally connected with the handle and each bent at an intermediate point of its length to provide the angular portions f, these bent angular portions f of the upper and lower jaws diverging laterally from each other, in combination with a sleeve fitted over the shanks of the jaws and adapted to ride over the divergent portions f of the same, substantially as described.

2. In a mop and brush holder, the combination, with a brush having the upright fixed castings or plates provided with the enlarged or bulged ends, of two spring-jaws arranged to bind against reverse sides of the castings or plates, a staff or handle to which the jaws are connected, and. a sleeve for forcing the jaws together and upon the castings, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In a mop and brush holder, the co1nbination of a brush having the bulged castings fixed thereto, a jaw, B, adapted to fit over said castings, another jaw, A, bearing against one side of said castings below the bulged part thereof, a staff or handle to which said jaws are connected, and a sleeve for pressing the jaws tightly upon the castings, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES L. FORTIN.

\Vitnesses:

WM. (1. BLODGETT, DE WITT 0. SMITH. 

